Job responsibilities
To deliver compassionate person -centre care and to treat patients, service users, their families and their carers with consideration, dignity and respect you would want for yourself and family.
To be responsible and professionally accountable for the assessment of care needs; development of personalised plans of care, implementation and evaluation of care without supervision.
Provide specialist nursing care for deteriorating/high risk patients in the hospital including Level 3 transfers to other clinical areas or hospitals.Provide a Follow up Service of patients discharged from ICCU with, and for patients in the wider Trust, with Tracheostomies.
1.2 Evidence-based, clinically effective practiceEnsuring the planning and delivery of care is aligned to professional values of care, compassion and respect, act as a change agent, developing clinically effective practice through the effective utilisation and integration of evidence based practice.
1.3 Continuous quality improvementSupport the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring a culture of protecting patients from harm and deprivation of basic rights ensuring a safe and effective service with continuous quality improvement.
1.4 Patient safetyPromote a clean and safe environment for staff, patients and visitors by ensuring compliance with legislation, policies and protocols including health and safety, healthcare associated infection prevention, clinical governance, including risk management and critical incident reporting and route cause analysis.
Ensure a high standard of basic care and record keeping in accordance with Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health Professions Council, national legislation and local standards.
Demonstrating safe and effective care including; timely administration of medicines; effective observation of Patients and demonstrate effective communication with the multi-professional team regardingpatient care.
Assess the risks involved in the care of patients and ensure utilisation of practices and protocols to minimise those risks, including safe use of medical devices. To monitor the standards of care and with thesupport of the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse and take appropriate actions when standards fall below expected levels.
Report incidents and near misses promptly and appropriately and with the support of the Senior Sister / ChargeNurse and take effective action to minimise future risk. Contribute to the development and implementation of evidence-based protocols, standards, policies and clinical guidelines.
2. To enhance the patients experience2.1 Co-ordination of the patient journey
Ensure an effective and efficient patients journey by planning and co-ordinating the episode of care including the smooth transition to other settings, promoting safe and effective Level 3 transfer and optimising communication with inter-disciplinary and inter-agency teams as required.
Ensure a culture of continuous quality improvement through the use of audit, patient feedback and reflection on practice by self and other members of the team.
2.2 Clinical expertiseAdvise on clinical decisions and monitor the quality of patient care provided through using expert clinical knowledge relevant to own field of practice, underpinned by theory and experience. Act as the advocate for the patient ensuring safe and harm-free care is always uppermost in everydecision. Monitor views system and negotiate safe care with ward staff.Within a multi-disciplinary team environment, support the development of a culture of person centred care.
Be highly visible within wards, communicating regularly with patients, ward staff and their medical team to promote transparency of service for patients and staff; promote a caring environment where equality and diversity issues are respected and patients are enabled to be partners in their care.
Identify opportunities to develop care and services by supporting the Outreach Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring that there are effective systems in place to ascertain patient and carer experience / feedback and ensure complaints are managed in line with organisational policy.
Ensure that everyone within the sphere of care is treated with dignity and humanity, understanding individual needs, showing compassion and sensitivity and provide care in a way that respects all people equally. To work on the Critical Care Unit as a Specialist Nurse but not to be in charge/act up in the absence of the ICCU Senior Sister/Charge Nurse.
3. To manage and develop the performance of the team3.1 Role model
Act as a visible role model, adhering to expected standards of behaviour, promoting a supportive ethos to empower staff to contribute to the delivery of high quality person-centred care.
Lead by example, developing self and other staff and influencing the way care is provided in a manner that is innovative, open and responds to individual needs in line with the NHS duty of candour.
Support the appraisal process by ensuing that personal development plans are developed for a defined nursing team and that they are consistent with the teams / wards and organisations objectives, succession planning and workforce development.
Contribute to any management of change within the ward / clinical environment supporting a continuous improvement cycle.
Establish and support robust communication networks within the team. Work harmoniously and effectively with colleagues, patients and clients and their carers, families and friends.
Take all reasonable care of health and safety at work for you, your team and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. Report incidents and near misses promptly and appropriately and take effective action to minimise future risk.
3.2 Learning and development
Support the learning and development of junior staff including supporting staff to achieve registration or re-validation.
Support the Outreach Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in creating and maintaining a learning environment that ensures effective learning opportunities for staff and students including appropriate orientation and induction programmes, a range of clinical support strategies (mentoring, coaching, clinical supervision and action learning). This includes participation in teaching programmes such as ALERT, promoting other teaching and direction related to the deteriorating patient for themultidisciplinary team.
Plan, monitor and evaluate on-going mandatory training and relevant education and development opportunities for a defined nursing team. Participate in the Wards/depts annual training needs analysis.3.3 Managing the practice setting
Manage the practice setting, taking account of role and competence of staff when delegating work.
Delegate aspects of care to others and accept responsibility and accountability for such delegation.
In the absence of the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse manage the nursing / midwifery team, ensuring compliance by self and others with professional standards, legislation, national and organisational policies.
Participate in recruitment and selection within own practice setting.
Participate in the management of sickness and absence within own practice area for a defined nursing team.Participate in performance management of defined nursing team.
Support the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse with E-rostering, ensuring full compliance with KPIs.
4. To ensure effective contribution to the delivery of the organisations objectives4.1 Networking
Act up in the absence of the Senior Sister.
Contribute to the development of an organisational culture that supports continuous learning and development, evidence-based practice and succession planning.
Attend professional forums and disseminate information in the absence of the Senior Sister.
4.2 Service Development
Support the implementation of the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Programme for the organisation.Within clinical area support the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring knowledge and implementation of the organisations quality and safety agenda, supporting the preventing harm campaign with adherence to Always Events.
Seek opportunities for personal and team development supporting the research agenda of the organisation. Critically appraise and synthesise the outcomes of relevant research, evaluations and audits and apply the information when seeking to improve practice.
4.3 Political and strategic awareness
Develop and maintain a working knowledge of local, national and professional strategy and policy, ensuing that organisational goals are reflected in personal objectives and in ward / departmentdevelopment plans.
Demonstrate by self, and through team, compliance to the pledges of the NHS Constitution 2012
